Graham Walker

Lightning Bolt hit maker Jake Bugg, who plays Sherwood Pines Forest next week, is leading a double life - he is also pop’s real modern day Robin Hood.

Or make that Robin Hoody.

The proud Nottingham 22-year-old, like the region’s famed folklore son, is taking from the rich and giving to the poor.

His Robin Hoody Foundation aims to provide musical instruments to schools who are struggling financially and to pay for rehearsal space.

He will be doing his bit to raise money to help preserve the famed home of England’s favourite outlaw - Sherwood Forest itself - when he plays a homecoming gig at Forest Live, in Sherwood Pines Forest, near Mansfield, organised by the Forestry Commission, on Thursday, June 23. For tickets details CLICK HERE.

It aims to bring forests to new audiences and generate income from ticket sales to spend on protecting, improving and expanding England’s forests and woodlands and increasing their value to people and wildlife.

He has a UK autumn tour, including a date at Leeds O2 Academy on October 26. For tickets - CLICK HEREAUDIO: Listen to Jake Bugg talking about new album On My One and forthcoming UK gigs in conversation with Graham Walker on his Big Interviews Audioboom channel - CLICK HEREDOWNLOAD ALBUM: Get his new album on iTunes and amazon.co.uk and check out his official web site at jakebugg.comChart-topper Jake rarely talks about his amazing charity work but in an exclusive chat - listen to the full interview here - he told how he agreed his biggest hit, Lightning Bolt, could be used in a British Airways TV ad with a donation agreed to his Robin Hoody Foundation.

He said: “In adverts I have a say. I’m not one that really likes to do adverts, but I have a Foundation. We support local kids who haven’t got instruments and we try to get them into music.

“So when we do an advert and they want to pay us, we ask if it would be possible to have some money for the Foundation. If they agree, it’s a real incentive to do the advert for them.”

Jake, from Clifton, one of the UK’s largest council estates in Nottingham, added: “When I was growing up, instruments were not the best and for working class fans its difficult to find the time and pay for the rehearsal space. So things like that, providing rehearsal space and to buy instruments for them.”

On My One, the new album from Jake Bugg out on Friday, June 17, 2016.

He revealed he wrote Lightning Bolt in 10-minutes, while at a studio waiting for a taxi to turn up with pal Iain Archer, He said: “We wrote it very fast and at the time everything seemed to be going pretty fast, with people giving advice. So it was based on all that.”

It also used as the backing-track to a recording of the 100m win by Usain Bolt at the 2012 London Olympic, featured on his self-titled debut album, which went straight to number one, making him the youngest British male artist ever to do that.It went double platinum and was shortlisted for the UK Mercury Music Prize.

His second album was a top three smash, he’s won an Ivor Novello and NME awards, had huge success with hits like Trouble Town, used as the theme for TV’s Happy Valley, played Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading, T In The Park, other festivals and iconic venues, all over the world.

His third album, out on Friday June 17 and recorded in London, Los Angeles and his home city, is called On My One - a Nottingham saying for ‘on my own’.

Jake Bug new album On My One

It couldn’t be more apt. He wrote all 11 songs, played most instruments, and produced most of the album - Jacknife Lee produced three tracks.

He said: “I saw this as the logical next step in my development as a songwriter. It was a challenge but something I felt I had to do.”

Fans had a sneak peek with release of first single, Gimme The Love, an intoxicating mix of funky drums and wah-wah guitar, followed by latest single, Love Hope and Misery. The album shapeshifts effortlessly from blues to pop, rap to folk and soul to country.

He has been described as a Dylan style wordsmith with the sound of the early Beatles and he's happy to take that. But his influences also include Don McLean, Donovan, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, and the Everly Brothers.

American heavy metal band Metallica was also a huge influence when he first picked up a guitar as a 12-year-old.

For all its diversity, the heartbeat of On My One is the blues.

“Blues is my favourite genre,” Jake admits. “Whether it’s soul or hip hop, it all stems from the blues. To me the blues just means singing your emotions and expressing your pain so others can feel it. That’s the beauty of music. If nothing else, I’d like to think I’ve done that with this record.”

He has a UK autumn tour, including Leeds O2 Academy on October 26. For tickets - CLICK HERE* Tickets for Forest Live, with special guests Walking On Cars, are £36, plus £4.10 booking fee, on 03000 680400 or at forestry.gov.uk/music